


Mikey's Mutation Day Feelings

by HolyKingWasteLand



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Bay Movies), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: 13 Year Old Turtles, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Birthday, Character Study, Family Angst, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Forgotten Birthday, Gen, How Do I Tag, Hurt Michelangelo (TMNT), Insecure Michelangelo, Insecurity, Michelangelo (TMNT) Character Study, Michelangelo (TMNT)-centric, Mikey's a good boy, Not Beta Read, Pre-Canon, Sick Michelangelo, Sickfic, We Die Like Men, Written for 2012 Turtles, birthday angst, can be read as any of them tho, sick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-11-26 18:53:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20935070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HolyKingWasteLand/pseuds/HolyKingWasteLand
Summary: At 13 years old, Mikey's birthday was forgotten. Insecurities took over him and he ended up sick. He just wants one day where his brothers don't fight. Will he get that wish?





	Mikey's Mutation Day Feelings

**Author's Note:**

> Written for 2012 Turtles, can be read as any of them tho
> 
> My birthday is in 2 days (the 9th of October) and uhhhh yeah not feeling the best :,)  
Whoo for 16 tho ✨

All four turtles knew that the only presents they'd get for mutation day were whatever Splinter could find in the sewers, and they were fine with that.

Leonardo wouldn't ask for anything in particular, but with some poking and prodding he would usually just mention candles. However, every single year without fail, Splinter would manage to get choji oil for his katana. The smile on Leo's face is worth all the money in the world.

Raphael is easy to "buy" for. He loves letting off steam and horror. Once he receives his Sais, he asks for a sharpening block and oil to keep them nice and sharp. He ends up getting them both, and a new punching bag. (How Splinter gets this, no one knows.)

Donatello yearns for information. Every year he'll ask more questions, and Splinter will respond with more books, going from a child's reading level to a university's. He soaked up all the information he could, learning more and more and more. He got gifted with a computer and more books. He managed to make internet work in the sewers, and so he could learn everything and anything at the click of a button.

Michelangelo seemed to be the easiest to buy for. When they were younger, he would just ask for a new toy, which Splinter found many of in the sewers. But when prompted further, Mikey never said what he wanted. Splinter tried first, but Mikey just shrugged with a, "I like whatever I get!" His brothers tried as well, but still they couldn't get anything out of the youngest terrapin.

It's been like that for a very long time, ever since they were mutated in fact. The other brothers constantly wanted more or to _do _more or to _learn _more, but Mikey was content with whatever.

A new comic book? Sweet, something to keep him busy a while!

A new half-broken toy? Awesome, maybe Raph will wanna play!

A new pair of socks? Wonderful, now his feet won't get cold at night!

A new video game? Great, more things to keep him busy!

Seriously, the kid accepted every gift with a big goofy smile and a call of thanks. He never complained about a late gift due to October's cold chills, and really just wanted to spend time with his brothers.

On each of their own mutation days (spread apart over a few days during early October), they got to do whatever they liked.

Leo preferred having a day to himself where he could just relax and mediate with his father or on his own.

Raph and Splinter would go on a run in the morning and then he'd spend the rest of the day being treated like royalty by his brothers (since it was the only thing he asked for, they felt obliged).

Donnie liked being alone on his mutation day, preferring to just stay in his lab working on whatever he wanted. Mikey would give him gifts and cards in the morning, but then they wouldn't see him until the next day. Mikey was hurt the first few times it happened, but eventually he learned to just accept that one day a year Donnie wanted peace and quiet.

Mikey loved being around his brothers and father, he always wanted to celebrate his birthday, ignoring the idea of presents and skipping straight to the family bonding! It was the one time of year that they'd all come together for him and hang out, and he loved it. He soaked it up greedily and then he could continue on for the next year.

He's wake them all up early in the morning (although not _too _early) and then they'd eat breakfast together, skip training (per his request), and then play happily together the rest of the day until bedtime.

Well, over the years, Leo and Raph started fighting more. They would argue over big things, but then suddenly they argued over the little things too. Mikey was so confused- where had it all gone so wrong?

His birthday suddenly wasn't fun anymore. It wasn't about him enjoying a day with his brothers, it was about trying to stop Leo and Raph from biting each other's heads off.

Mikey would make them all eat together in the morning, and Raph and Leo would be fine. They'd skip training and begin to play when Raph would do something to offend or hurt Leo. They'd start arguing and then someone (usually Raph) would storm off, the other (usually Leo) not far behind.

And just like that, a day so special to him was ruined.

At first he would try to salvage it, hanging out with Donnie was always fun! But then his older brother would mumble about fixing something and run off to his Lab, leaving Mikey alone.

He tried to not let it affect him, and every year he tried over and over to make it work but.... nothing.

They kept fighting.

He stopped trying.

By the time they were thirteen, Mikey gave up on his birthday.

He opens his eyes, watching the glaring light come from his nightlight. He looks over at the clock Donnie built him and sighs at the early hour.

_5:39am._

He sighs heavily and rolls over, away from the offending lights. In twenty minutes he would wake his brothers to eat breakfast together.

Would he? No, not this year, he decided. His brothers have better things to do.

With a grunt of effort, he pushes himself up and out of bed. His limbs are sore and yell at him to lay back down; it was his birthday after all, he could sleep a little longer! 

He shakes his head, clearing his head of all the thoughts and exits his messy room. A faint thought reminds him to clean it, but he shrugs it away.

Entering the kitchen, Mikey begins to cook up breakfast. Usually, he'd make pancakes for everyone, but they didn't have the ingredients for it, so he'd settle for oatmeal. Sad, boring oatmeal.

He mixes up the oats and milk, splashing a bit of cinnamon in there just for some flavour. He puts it in the microwave and pulls it out when it goes off. He turns on the kettle and gets out two mugs, he puts coffee in one, and green tea in the other.

With a sigh he shovels the warm goop into his mouth, grimacing. Yeah, cinnamon doesn't really help, he thinks bitterly. Oh well, they were running out of food and it was mid-autumn, meaning it was getting colder and harder for Splinter to go scavenging.

He quickly finishes his oatmeal without further complaint before washing the bowl and spoon. Leo enters with a murmur of "good morning" and starts to get his own breakfast out. Mikey pours the hot water into Leo's tea and hands it to him with a small smile. "Thanks Mikey." Leo smiles back and begins eating his cereal.

Hearing a muttered curse from outside the kitchen, Mikey pours the hot water into Donnie's mug before topping it off with some milk and sugar. (He knows Donnie likes it with sugar and milk, even if he insists he likes it as dark and bitter as his soul.)

Mikey places the mug down in front of a groaning Donatello who doesn't say anything, too caught up in his own headache. Mikey gets out the painkillers and gives two to Donnie before making the turtle some toast.

Plain butter is how Donnie likes it, and he's lucky, there's only two slices of it left.

He places the toast in front of his brother who begins eating, the medication nowhere to be found and the coffee half drunk.

Raph enters last and says nothing.

It's fine, Mikey thinks with a pained smile as he exits. It's okay. 

It's not okay.

Ten minutes pass and they all kneel in the Dojo for practice. Splinter enters and raises an eyebrow at them, but doesn't say anything.

"We will be meditating today." He pauses, watching his sons (mainly Michelangelo) for any type of agitation, and is quite confused when his youngest stays silent. "Very well, begin." He sits down in front of the four turtles and they all fall into meditative silence.

Shutting his eyes, Mikey crashes into some troubling thoughts.

None of his brothers have said happy mutation day to him, which is _fine _because they all look exhausted, but still.. it hurts.

They don't even look his way, none of them acknowledge what he does for them.

But.. it's okay. He can't complain, his family is alive and breathing. That'll always be enough for him.

He'd get over it. It's just another day right?

Yeah just another day.

That's what he'd keep telling himself. 

* * *

He doesn't know why Leo and Splinter like meditating so much, it's so... exhausting. Emotionally draining.

After an hour of meditating in silence, Splinter ends the session and calls off training for the rest of the day, seeing how his sons all struggle to remain on their feet. Even Leo is looking worse for wear.

Silently, Mikey thanks his father for calling off training, his limbs are aching and his head started pounding twenty minutes ago. But you need extra training, his mind growls, you're way behind your brothers.

He's right, his mind whispers again, you don't have time for breaks; you can barely keep up as is.

Mikey exits the Dojo with his brothers, but he doesn't sit in the pit with them. He heads straight to his bedroom. If he stays, he'll hear the fighting again, and he can't handle it. Not today.

He closes his bedroom door and begins cleaning. He can't practice with a messy floor, right?

He picks up his comic books, placing them carefully on his bed. He puts his old mouldy pizza and other unidentifiable foods into a garbage bag, and ties it up.

The room already looks better, and it's only been twenty or so minutes. 

He makes his bed, though it still looks quite messy and then begins on his craft supplies. He has a cardboard box filled with sketch books and paints, so he dumps the rest of his art-y stuff in there.

There are a few things here and there, like blankets and toys, but he just folds the blankets and puts the toys under his bed.

Finally, he can train.

His limbs are still aching, and he's extremely hot, but he needs to train. He has to.

He stretches out his muscles before working through his katas. Deep breaths and focused eyes as he tries to remember everything Splinter taught them.

_Useless._

What?

_Goofball._

Hang on-

_Idiot._

...

He pauses, listening to his brothers' voices in his head. They're right, his mind hisses and he can't help but nod.

He returns to training, a newfound vigour burning away the feeling in his body.

* * *

Lunch came and went. No one came for him, or if they did he didn't hear them.

Mikey sits on his bed, watching the clock slowly tick by. Dinner was soon, and usually he'd be the one cooking, since his brothers weren't capable. Hey, that's mean! He shouts at his thoughts. But it's true, they reply.

He sighs heavily, wiping the sweat from his face. Why was it so hot? 

Maybe he'd just lay down for a minute, then he'd get started on dinner....

As he lays down on top of the sheets, he falls almost instantly into slumber.

* * *

Mikey wakes up to a hand against his forehead. His headache is killing him and the cool hand makes him groan.

"Shell, he's definitely got a fever." A voice says gently, but it hurts his head to hear. It sounds like Donnie, but his eyes won't open to find out. The light is too bright, the sound it too loud.

God his head hurts.

"Leo go fetch some cold wet washcloths." Donnie instructs, and the footsteps bang around in Mikey's head like a drum. "Raph, go fetch the thermometer from my lab and get Master Splinter." 

Time. Time must be a concept, and not a real thing, since suddenly everyone around him, and the light is gone, allowing him to open his eyes.

"How ya feeling?" Donnie asks softly, taking something off of his head and replacing it with something cold. Mikey lets out a long relieved sigh and smiles softly.

"Didja get the licence number of the bus that hit me?" He jokes, watching the easy smiles that light up on his brothers' and father's face. 

"Yeah. You have a massive fever, why didn't you say anything?" Leo asks gently, kneeling beside his brother's bed.

Mikey lets out a wheezing laugh and holds his hand out, to which Leo takes. "Honestly? I didn't really notice it." He mumbles, blinking lazily. "Did you drug me? I feel great." Mikey giggles, causing the others to laugh softly.

"Yeah, Don gave ya some painkillers." Raph says, his voice quiet for once, which is a shock to Mikey's system.

This feels nice, he thinks.

"What's that?" Leo asks softly. Oh, he spoke out loud.

"This feels nice." He whispers, looking at his family all around him, tired tears fill his eyes. Leo nods, a small smile lighting up his face. Donnie grins, his gap tooth showing even in the low light. Raph's lips turn upwards slightly and he steps closer. Splinter smiles warmly at the scene.

Donnie takes Mikey's other hand and rubs his thumb over Mikey's knuckles gently.

Yeah, maybe they forgot his birthday, and maybe he was sick, but Mikey was _happy._

His brain still tells him to get better, that they won't put up with his idiocy for much longer, but for just one night...

He could pretend that everything was okay.


End file.
